Herbert w



H. W. 8v J. SITWELL.

I Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT \V. SITWELL AND JULIET SITWTELL, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO CECIL F. SITYVELL, OF SAME PLACE.

SURGICAL WATE'R-BANDAGE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,855, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed October a3, 1886. Serial No. @1059. (No model.)

To all whomit may concern:

Be itknown that we, HERBERT W. SITWELL, a subject of theQuecn of Great Britain, and

JULIET SrrwELL, a citizen of the United States,

both residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Physicians Pads or Bandages; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices designed to be applied to the body to modify the temperature thereof.

Devices of this character as heretofore constructed fail to give the best results, for the reason that the fluid used to regulate thetemperature passes back and forth through the pad or bandage over the surface under treat ment a number of times, thus modifying the temperature of the fluid used, so that at the discharge end of the pad or bandage the temperature of the fluid will approach more nearly to that of the body than at the receiving end of the pad.

The object of our invention is to overcome the objections heretofore found to exist; and to this end the invention consists in a surgical pad or bandage embodying a supply-tube, a discharge-tube, and a number of independent connecting-tubes leading from the supply-tube to the discharge-tube.

1 It consists,also,in novel features of construc tion and combinations, which will be fully described in the ensuing specification, and claimed in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a plan view of our improved pad or bandage, a modification being shown in dotted lines.

The pad or bandage shown may be constructed 'of any light impervious material, though light rubber tubing is recommended. The pad or bandage consists, essentially, of'a feed or inlet tube, A, a discharge-tube, B, and

1 a number of independent circulating tubes, 0

0, leading directly from the inlet-tube A to the discharge-tube B. The inlet-tube A may be of any convenient length, and is fitted at its receiving end with a perforated plug, a,

. cold air or vapors.

. culating-tubes by means of which it may be connected with any suitable vessel, D, containing hot or cold liquid, or with a vessel which supplies hot or This vessel D may consist of an ordinary wooden bucket containing water and fitted near the bottom with an aperture, (1, in which the plug a may be tightly driven. The tube A is closed at its other extremity,a,and is provided with a longitudinal series of apertures to receive the ends of the circulating-tubes O. The discharge tube is likewise closed at its end I) and provided with a corresponding longitudinal series of apertures to receive the opposite ends of the circulating-tubes O. The open or discharge end I) of the discharge-tube B is of such a length that the fluid used may be conducted to any suitable receptacle.

The drawing illustrates a pad or bandage substantially rectangular, with the feed-tube A and discharge-tube B parallel, and the cir- G 0 arranged parallel with each other, but at right angles to the feed and discharge tubes; but it will be understood that the specific form may be 'varied without departing from the spirit of the invention involved, to suit different requirements-as, for instance, in constructing such an appliance for application to the head. it should conform to the contour of the head, and the feed and discharge tubes A and B could not well be maintained in parallelism; but the end sought could be attained, as the circulating-tubes would receive fluid of a given temperature simultaneously from a common supply, (tube A,) and the temperature of the fluid would be but slightly modified in traversing once the length of the circulating-tubes to the discharge tubes.

' To maintain the parallelism of the circulating-tubes C 0, they may be bound together in any suitable or approved manner, though we prefer to cement their under surface to a film, E, of gutta-percha tissue, as this material is extremely light, (twelve square yards weighing but a pound,) and so flexible that the en tire appliance may be rolled into a small compass and carried in the pocket. If preferred, this film or sheet E may be perforated to afford ventilation.

It will be understood, of course, that the supply and discharge tubes are of greater diameter than the circulating-tubes, as they must each carry a greater quantity of liquid or vapor than any one of said circulatingtubcs. \Ve have found that a diameter of about one-quarter inch and one'eighth for the tubes 0 0 gives good results, but do not confine ourselves to these proportions.

The pad thus constructed is extremely light, easily manipulated, and owing to its extreme flexibility readily adapts of the body to which it is applied.

\Ve prefer to construct the entire device of light flexible rubber tubing, though in some instances we contemplate using hard rubber for the tubes A and B.

The feed or inlet tube A may be arranged, as shown in dotted lines in the drawings, to admit the water or other agent from the source ofsupply at a point intermediate between the outer circulating-tubes; but we have obtained the best results from the arrangement represented in full lines.

for the tubes A and B itself to the portion lVe claim- 1. In a pad or bandage for the application of heat or cold to the body, the combination ofthe inlet or supply tube, the disehargetube, and a number of independent circulatingtubes connecting the feed-tube directly with the dischargetnbe.

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, ofthe feed and discharge tubes provided with a longitudinal series of perforations, and the independent eirculatingtubes each leading from one of the perforations of the feed-tube to the opposite perforation of the disehargetubc.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT \V. SIT\VELL. JULTET SITWELL.

Witnesses:

JonN Paen, W. \VASIHNUION. 

